


an (un)forgettable first meeting

by ShirosRedKnight (SweetFanfics)



Series: Sheith Week 2016 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: First Meeting, M/M, Mild Injury, Sheith Week 2016, like at first sight, pining shiro, pre-kerberos flashbacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 16:05:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10947966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetFanfics/pseuds/ShirosRedKnight
Summary: The sight of Keith sitting on the low stool with a mulish expression on his face as Shiro wraps his finger up in a splint brings back a memory that has the older paladin chuckling.“What’s so funny about this?” Keith asks.As he pulls the tape around the splint, Shiro asks, “This doesn’t bring back any memories?” Keith’s irritated expression morphs into confused-musing, gaze lowering as he thinks on it.“Not really.”Placing the gentlest kiss to the tip of the wrapped up finger, Shiro teasingly asks, “Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten how we first met.”





	an (un)forgettable first meeting

The sight of Keith sitting on the low stool with a mulish expression on his face as Shiro wraps his finger up in a splint brings back a memory that has the older paladin chuckling.

 

“What’s so funny about this?” Keith asks brows dipped in the center of his forehead in irritation.

 

As he pulls the tape around the splint, Shiro asks, “This doesn’t bring back any memories?” Keith’s irritated expression morphs into confused-musing, gaze lowering as he thinks on it.

 

Shiro waits patiently, finishing the bandaging while Keith thinks. His smile grows when Keith shakes his head and says, “Not really.”

 

Placing the gentlest kiss to the tip of the wrapped up finger, Shiro teasingly asks, “Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten how we first met.”

 

The red paladin’s eyes widen immediately, mouth falling open as a small breathy laugh falls out, “Oh god, I’d forgotten all about that.”

 

“Did I make _that_  little of an impression you?” Shiro laughs, thumb stroking Keith’s wrist. Stopping soon enough to feel Keith’s pulse thudding away steadily under his thumb pad. 

 

Keith’s laugh is devoid of all his previous irritation. He leans forward, burying his face into his free palm while his body shakes with mirth. “Honestly?” Keith asks, peeking through his fingers. “Yeah. I didn’t even realize who you were until we met again a couple of weeks later. I was too preoccupied thinking about how I wouldn’t be allowed to do sims for the next two days all because I hurt my finger.”

 

Planting a hand over his chest, Shiro leans back with faux hurt, with a pained groan to complete the effect. “Seriously?” he asks with a laugh. “There I was trying to be cool and not let you know about how hard I was crushing on you and you didn’t even know who I was?”

 

Keith’s hurt hand curls around his wrist as best it can. The splint finger presses against the side of Shiro’s wrist as Keith asks, “Say that again?”

 

“You didn’t even know who I was?” Shiro repeats in confusion.

 

But Keith shakes his head, eyes wide in disbelief, “Before that. You had a crush on me back then?”

 

 _Oops_. Shiro feels heat pop in the center of his cheeks. That’s not something he’d meant to share. “Um. Yeah. I never told you that?” he tries to play it off but the way he’s not exactly meeting Keith’s eyes may give him away. When Keith shakes his head again, Shiro says, “Well now you know.”

 

“Since how long? What did you even like about me?” Keith asks incredulously, using his grip to pull Shiro closer to him. The wheels of his stool squeak noisily as he rolls forward, his knees knocking against Keith’s. 

 

Scrubbing the back of his head with his free hand, Shiro exhales shortly. In for a penny, in for a pound, he supposes. Might as well tell Keith the whole truth. So he takes a bracing breath and answers, “Since the first time I saw you.”

 

–---

 

 _It takes Iverson comparing him to Cadet Kogane for Shiro’s curiosity to fully awaken. Who is this cadet and how good_ are _they to earn that kind of a comment from_ Iverson _?_

_So Shiro asks around, finds out the cadet’s schedule, and sneaks into one of the team simulation missions to see what so great about Kogane. He has to wait for four teams to finish before the professors calls Kogane out._ _Shiro takes full advantage of his height and adds a few more centimeters to it by pushing himself up on his tip toes to get a good look at the guy. He finds himself falling back on his heels before he can catch himself before his first and only thought is,_ oh shit he’s hot _._

_Hot may actually be a disservice. Kogane is unfairly pretty and dangerously attractive in five feet eleven package. Shiro's eyes trace the sharpness of his features, the serious set of his face, the assessing look he sweeps over his teammates before nodding. And Shiro realizes, he’s already smitten with this guy._

_His attraction grows into respect however when he sees Keith navigate through the sim. It’s a little rough in the start where he snaps instructions to the other two cadets in the sim with him. But he’s quick to explain what they should be looking to correct and they follow through._

_He’s good looking, a highly competent pilot, and scarily observant. Shiro begins to understand what Iverson meant and keenly wants to know more about Keith._

–---

 

“After that I kind of kept my eye out for you,” Shiro demurely shrugs his shoulders, leaving out the part where he _actively_  would seek out Keith’s dark mop of hair during meal times, while shuttling between classes, and in groups once they were done for the day.

 

Keith’s staring at him in wonder, a faint blush stretching from ear to ear, “I never knew that.”

 

With a weak little smile, Shiro corrects him, “I never told you.”

 

“When’d we meet then?”

 

–---

 

_Typically it’s students from the medical program who prefer to volunteer in the clinic. But Shiro and Matt had agreed that they could use the experience to learn some much needed first aid skills._ _Just in case._

_At any given day, the worst thing they have to help the nurse patch up is a bleeding wound. There’s the occasional serious case but they’re not allowed to help on those. Five weeks in, the nurse starts trusting them enough to take care of the smaller injuries on their own._

_Today, the nurse has left the clinic for a short period of time - something about having to see someone about an incomplete or missing order. Shiro had snapped a salute, waited for the nurse to walk out, and plopped down on her empty chair and pick up the latest issue of Readers Digest he’d tucked away behind some medical books._

_He’s half way through a joke involving three goals, a married couple, and some watermelons when the clinic door swooshes open. Shiro glances up and jumps to his feet with a clatter when he realizes its Keith walking in, thunderous expression on his face._

_“Where’s the nurse?” Keith asks, left hand wrapped around his right.  
_

_“Out. Is there anything I can help you with?”_

_With an annoyed grunt, Keith shakes his head, “No. I’ve got it. I just need to clean this up.” And starts walking toward the cabinet holding the bandages._

_His irritated expression grows darker when Shiro steps into his path and firmly insists, “Let me see it.”_

_Keith’s mouth opens, doubtless to say something sharp and cutting, but then his eyes note the two golden stripes on Shiro’s shoulders and his lips snap shut. Noted that Shiro is a second year and Keith needs to be polite, he curls his lip and holds his hurt hand forward._

_Shiro carefully peels the bloodied handkerchief off Keith’s finger and hisses when he sees the wound, “That’s bad. How’d that happen?”_

_“Accidentally slammed the LMV door on my finger. Cut it on the metal or something.” Keith answers coolly and dismissively._

_With a small nod, Shiro points Keith towards the nearest bed and tells him to wait. As he collects all the things he needs to help Keith, Shiro tells himself to calm down and get a grip. He needs to focus on the task at hand, make a good impression, create a good impression and then…_

_He’s not sure what he should do after that and unfortunately he doesn’t get the time to think about it before Keith asks, “Could you hurry up, please? I’ve got to get to my next class in 10.” And that has him hustling back to the first year._

_For the first couple of minutes, Shiro focuses on cleaning and treating the wound thoroughly. He keeps his gaze down, focused on the long and deep gash right in the middle of Keith’s finger. It’s only when he starts wrapping the wound up that Shiro dares a peek up._

_Keith’s lovely features are twisted into an expression of extreme frustration. He looks so angry and upset that Shiro immediately scrambles to say something, anything, that would drive the ugly look away._

–---

 

“So I thought I’d tell you a joke. So I asked if you knew that coral got stressed out too. Then I asked if you knew what they got stressed out about.”

 

Keith’s expression suddenly clears as he answers, “Current events.” He smiles and exhales a laugh, “I remember that. That was the worst pun I’d _ever_ heard.”

 

“And I made you laugh so hard,” Shiro recalls, the faint stirrings of pride rolling around as he recalls the dear memory. That had been the moment where he’d realized that maybe his feelings for Keith went beyond simple attraction.

 

The gentle smile on Keith’s lips softens into a loving look which has Shiro wanting to melt in his seat, “You’ve liked me for _that_  long, huh?” After he’s nodded in shy agreement, Keith rolled forward another inch and groans, “I’m sorry I don’t remember that. But… thank you.”

 

“For what?” Shiro asks quietly.

 

Keith turns his hand to hold Shiro’s in his own and brings it up to his lips. The kiss is presses to the back of Shiro’s hand is dry but lingering. It sends a warm shiver rolling through the older paladin. 

 

“For telling me. For always looking out for me. For…” Keith gestures helplessly with his free hand before finishing, “Just for being you I guess.”


End file.
